Share the Harvest results up so far

Sunday

Dec 2, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Program, conservation officials hoping for second year of record numbers, donations

Despite a sluggish start to firearms deer season, hunters are on track to donate a record number of deer to Share the Harvest, Missouri’s annual effort to collect and distribute the relatively low-fat red meat to those in hunger.

While the opening weekend numbers showed hunters did not fare well, whether it was because of weather, the drought or other factors, in the end Missouri hunters took 204,668 deer during firearms season, about 7.7 percent more than last year but still slightly below the 10-year average.

And with those more positive numbers, program organizers with the Share the Harvest are optimistic that trend continues into deer donations.

“I think donated deer are up from last year, and last year was a record year,” said Dave Murphy, director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the group that helps finance and organize Share the Harvest.

Last year, hunters donated 317,882 pounds of venison, filling food pantries and assistance centers across the state with the free, low-fat red meat and protein.

Missouri Conservation Agent Marsha Jones said the opening weekend’s poor weather may have actually helped Share the Harvest numbers, with more hunters opting to simply donate their deer rather than try and process it themselves in the warm weather.

Jones said the drop-off collection point usually manned in Adair County was done away with since there are three deer processing locations in the immediate area.

“There was a place on either side of town,” Jones said, referring to Terry Morgan’s in Greentop, Nunan Meat Market in Kirksville and Buckridge Butcher Shop in La Plata.

Jones said she did not have updated figures from all three processors, but that Nunan Meat Market had reported 122 whole deer had been donated so far, producing about 5,753 pounds of ground venison.

Murphy said with 130 processors participating in Share the Harvest across Missouri, the hope is that all $600,000 raised to finance processing costs will be used for a program goal of 10,000 deer.

Estimated out at about 50 pounds of venison per deer, Share the Harvest aims to deliver 50,000 pounds of frozen meat ready to be prepared.

“It is a top and vital need and [meat] is something that is not generally donated,” Murphy said.

The thousands of pounds of venison will eventually make their way to about 30 food pantries across the state. Locally, the Christian Community Food Depot takes all the venison deliveries.

Murphy said with deer seasons running through Jan. 15, it will be about a month from then until the total numbers are known.